Serum Proteins in a Population Sample of Males Aged 65–85 Years

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In a randomly selected sample of 214 men: There was a significant (P<0.05) relationship between gamma globulin and age, such that the mean value rose to its highest level at age 75, and subsequently fell. The serum albumin was significantly lower (P< 0.05) among those who ate protein at most twice a week than among those who ate it twice a day or more. As well as having a low serum albumin, those who ate protein twice a week or less had a significantly (P<0.02) smaller amount of subcutaneous adipose tissue than the rest of the sample. Those with a reduced serum albumin had a slight increase of gamma globulin, but this was not significant (P< 0.2). Men who had regularly drunk at least 12 pints of beer daily had a slight rise of /[beta] globulin (P about 0.1), but showed no other difference in their serum proteins from those who had never taken alcohol. In 15 men who had more than 0.5 g protein in the single urine specimen taken at clinical examination, there was a slight and statistically insignificant lowering of albumin, but there was a significant (P<0.05) increase of gamma globulin.